Adaptive Sports, Peer Support Give Patients New Perspective

You could feel the discouragement just walking in the exam room door.

Roy sat
with his head down and shoulders hunched. His cane was propped against the wall.
As the preceptor in clinic, I had been asked by our third-year resident to meet
Roy, a 50-year-old patient with diabetes who recently had lost his leg and was
having a hard time learning to walk on a new prosthesis.

Readers
of this blog may know that I wear two prosthetic legs
since an accident long ago, but when I walked in the room Roy didn’t know that.
With just a glimpse of my carbon fiber ankles, his eyes flew open wide.

“But how
can you be an amputee? You’re the doctor!”

It was
just a glance, followed by a few words of encouragement and direction to a
couple of resources for amputees, but Roy walked out of the room smiling, his
back a little straighter, his perception of living well with amputation
altered.

Driving
home that night, I couldn’t help but ask myself what was it that had brightened
Roy’s day, and what had made it possible for me to successfully walk that same
path of uncertainty so many years ago?

For me,
three reasons came to mind.

The
first images to meet my eyes when I woke up in the ICU after my accident were
those of amputees engaged in sports. My best friend had gone online, found
photos of people wearing prosthetics while doing crazy, fun things, and posted
them throughout my room.

Secondly,
as a lifelong skier, every ski season has started with a viewing of one of
director Warren Miller’s fabulous ski movies. Warren has always included images
of adaptive athletes, kicking it on the mountains, in his movies. These images
were planted so deeply in my mind that, on my first night out of the ICU, I sat
on the edge of my bed visualizing making my first turns on a snowboard while
wearing a prosthesis that I had yet to even see.

It was a
gift from the filmmaker that I hadn’t even known I had received.

And
lastly, but perhaps most importantly, my family physician and friend Tim
Dudley, M.D., made me call the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD)
from my hospital room before I went home.

The NSCD
is one of the nation’s oldest and largest adaptive sports centers and helps
people with disabilities discover joy and freedom beyond their perceived limits
of disability. It offers skiing in the winter, as well as summer activities
such as bike and horseback riding.

With
help from the NSCD, I rediscovered the mountains and the thrill of skiing. And
together, we introduced a new device, the ski bike, to the North American
adaptive ski community.

The
great thing about skiing for people with disabilities is that a physical
activity that may have been limited by muscle strength or discomfort can be
overcome by adaptive equipment and the power of gravity. With adaptive skis or
a ski bike, people with disabilities find freedom through speed and movement
and the joy of keeping pace all day with their family and friends.

Whether
it's skiing, horseback riding, kayaking or any other activity, with the NSCD, people
with physical challenges can find ways to enjoy the outdoors and lead an active
lifestyle. And it isn't just about sports. Recreation is for everyone, and the
benefits -- physical, mental, social and spiritual -- are transformative for
body and soul.

Adaptive
sports programs also helped connect me with others facing challenges. I met and
saw peers who are active and drew inspiration from their experience. It
broadened my perception of what is possible, not only in sports but in life.

Perhaps
most importantly, organizations like the NSCD are also "stealth" peer
support programs. Lessons are personal, visual and more powerful than any
printed words, website or stories -- even those from a physician or therapist.
For people with physical challenges, peer support can replace self-images of
disability with images of ability.

What had
brightened Roy's day and what had helped me so much was the power of peer
support, which helps us understand we are not alone by allowing us to learn
from those with the same challenges.

Groups
like the NSCD and the Amputee Coalition(www.amputee-coalition.org) certainly
helped me with the nuts and bolts of dealing with amputation, like how to ride
a bike, travel and even how to answer the questions of inquisitive children at
the pool. ("Who would ever guess that sharks could live in chlorinated
water?")

More
importantly, these groups provided me with life lessons on how to live in a
different body.

My hope
for you as family physicians is that the next time you sit across from a
patient who is discouraged with a new diagnosis of a disease or disability, you
will find a way to offer him or her hope through adaptive sports and peer
mentoring programs. Remember, peer mentoring programs are not just for people
with disabilities; they have been proven to improve lives and outcomes for
patients with diabetes, arthritis and even cancer.

Need a
few starters? The NSCD(www.nscd.org)
is based in my home state of Colorado, but there are adaptive sports programs
in almost every city and state in the country. Disabled Sports USA(www.disabledsportsusa.org) has dozens of chapters nationwide and is a great resource to connect people of
all abilities with recreation and the outdoors. Most chronic diseases have
online support groups and resources, as well.

Recreation
and peer support help people become more active, confident and independent.

Your
short conversation, invitation or encouragement can make a huge difference.

The opinions and views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions and views of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This blog is not intended to provide medical, financial, or legal advice. All comments are moderated and will be removed if they violate our Terms of Use.